This Time and Every Time It"s Personal

In case you hadn't noticed this blog is my entirely personal and eclectic view of the world. Organisations I belong to disown me and every word of this thing - long before the cock crows. I blog what I want and I blogit when when I want. I rarely delete comments and will generally carry corrections and observations prominently on request. This time, and every time ... it's personal.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

The so-called "Postcode Lottery" is very obviously the B-Side of the top of the hit parade A-Side that is "delegation to local and regional units".

Obviously the empowered locals and regionals will take different decisions on different priorities. That's the point surely?

But, if you pick up one end of the stick, of local or regional priorities and decisions, you also find you have the other end in your grasp. That being different decisions. Also known as "postcode lottery".

2 comments:

Everybody Hates Chris
said...

I completely agree. And I also think the same about devolution in general.

Lots of people say they want decisions to be taken at a more local level and yet complain when service provision is not exactly uniform - particularly when they think that somebody is getting something that they are not.

You either have devolution with all its potential anomolies or a completely centra;sied system. The problem with the one size fits all approach is that you can end up with a size that fits no-one but is superficially fair.

nothing wrong with a non-uniform local service provided that it is accountable to the people it serves. It is re-assuring to know that geographical differences in health care, and ultimately mortality rates are are a consequence of the organisation and rationalisation of health services at a locally decided level. I am further reassured that my inabilty to access services such as dental care due to local supply factors and decisions is a local not a national issue. It is my regret that I deceived myself into believing that I pay taxes for a "national" health service to provide care based on individual patient/citizen need regardless of where the patient/citizen lives